


False Pretenses

by ClockworkDinosaur



Series: Gamestuck [3]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Blood, Davekat implied, F/F, Fallout AU, Falloutstuck, crossover AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 05:59:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10656357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClockworkDinosaur/pseuds/ClockworkDinosaur
Summary: The hit was simple. A ghoul turned feral, once a beloved sister who ran away with her last bit of sanity after attacking her brother. Being dead was better than being mindless, the brother rationalized. He hated to see his dear sister suffer.At least, that's what Roxy Lalonde assumed was his line of thought based on the blunt note jammed between the wooden slats of her door, the sparse details laboriously scribbled in block letters. It wasn't the strangest way she'd been given a job, nor the most mysterious of circumstances.





	False Pretenses

**Author's Note:**

> Usually i preface these crossovers with "nobody asked for this and yet here I am delivering it" BUT this was actually inspired by some friends in a Discord group I'm in, so I'm not the only one who wanted to see Homestuck and Fallout mashed together. Go figure?

The hit was simple. A ghoul turned feral, once a beloved sister who ran away with her last bit of sanity after attacking her brother. Being dead was better than being mindless, the brother rationalized. He hated to see his dear sister suffer.

At least, that's what Roxy Lalonde assumed was his line of thought based on the blunt note jammed between the wooden slats of her door, the sparse details laboriously scribbled in block letters. It wasn't the strangest way she'd been given a job, nor the most mysterious of circumstances.

But the job seemed straight-forward. Kill a feral that night, collect her caps the next morning. Luckily enough, the brother provided a rough location where his once-sister would have holed herself up, assuming she followed the usual trend of even the most insane ferals returning to familiar ground. She packed her backpack with all the necessities but left it by her door, deciding to waste her day with her sister and her wife in their meticulously run library before heading out to her job.

The sun was beginning its arc across the sky as she made her way towards the haphazard collection of buildings primarily built from old metal and salvaged wood affectionately referred to as Can Town. Just small and out of the way enough to be mostly ignored, but close enough to larger settlements to trade. Roxy was born and raised there along with her younger sister. It was as familiar to her as the sight down the barrel of her trusty sniper rifle.

The hub of town, a large pre-war building that had managed to remain mostly intact in the centuries after the bombs fell, was already bustling. She waved at a few familiar faces as she headed inside. What was once a large foyer was turned into a public marketplace of sorts, with farmers selling their crops and cooks with bubbling pots offering chipped bowls of whatever the day's special was. Textiles and hand-sewn clothes hung over tables covered in scavenged treasures. Voices raised over music and barter filled the air. It was a cacophony of sound and scent and Roxy strolled through it at a leisurely pace, stopping only once to greet her sorta-cousins, Dirk and Dave Strider.

The brothers were artisans at heart, selling whatever products came from their passions of the month. Currently, Dave sat with several old buckets positioned between his legs, tapping them rhythmically as Dirk sang whatever words came into his head, a stream of conscious song that was barely comprehensible. At his feet, an open lock box sat in waiting for a few spare caps.

“'Sup, Rox,” Dave said over the thudding of his own makeshift drum set.

“Hey Davey. Just listenin' to the lovely addition to the already super loud marketplace you and Dirk are providin',” she said, crossing her arms.

“Are you gonna scold us? Because first of all, fuck that we are grown men, and second of all, this is a public space and we can do what we want,” Dave said, not missing a beat.

“Pssh, if I wanted to scold you I would've. You guys sound great though so keep goin'!” Roxy laughed, tossing a few caps in the lock box and waving goodbye.

Roxy made her way to the hallway, where archways lined the walls. She passed the clinic and schoolroom and bounced into the library.

Rose looked up from the weathered book she was trying to salvage with a smile.

“Roxy, what a pleasure to see you,” she said.

“Hey Rosie, what's goin' on?”

Rose shrugged. “Much of the same. Kanaya is out scavenging for books and other things with Aradia today so I'm holding down the fort myself. I'm doing some restoration work on this old textbook. The usual exciting endeavor I find myself taking up.”

“Sounds fun,” Roxy said, leaning over the desk and squinting at the old book Rose had open. The pages were yellowed and fragile, the ink faded into unreadability from years of neglect. Roxy had seen books in worse shape brought back to legibility by Rose's capable hands. The shelves were full of Rose's handiwork, aided by her wife.

Rose began clearing her tools. “What brings you around today, Roxy?”

“I have a job tonight, thought I'd drop by. Talk to folks, y'know. I don't leave until this evening so I gotta whole day to waste. Figured I could maybe help out my favorite sister.”

With a reproachful expression, Rose carefully put the old book in a box, sliding it across the desk to Roxy for her to carry into the back room.

“Another thrilling expedition to end a life for monetary gain?” Rose asked, and Roxy tried not to flinch at the underlying venom in her words.

“I don't kill nobody who doesn't deserve it,” she said, setting the box carefully in the tiny room and closing the door. She kept her back towards Rose for a moment, almost afraid to see the worried and admonishing expression she knew was on her face.

“But how do you know? Who are you to say who deserves what?”

Roxy groaned. “Look Rosie, we have this conversation every single time I head out. I gotta knack for knowing the difference between a lady asking me to off her abusive spouse and an asshole lookin' to tie up a loose end in the shittiest way possible.”

“I don't doubt your judgment,” Rose started slowly, “but even so you're not totally infallible. And someday you may end up with a mark whose crimes were against those who have done far worse.”

“I know. I'll be careful okay? I always am.”

Rose searched Roxy's face, looking up at her much taller sister with a worried expression. Roxy offered back an easy grin.

“Stop motherin' me Rosie. I can handle myself.”

A second passed before Rose's face softened. “I know. It's just my job to worry, okay?”

“I'm formally offering you a vacation from Roxy-sitting duty, effective immediately and lastin' indefinitely.”

Roxy knew she had every right to worry. For years, Roxy had nigh destroyed herself, drowning in booze and debt until a bad situation had forced her clean. Without Rose, Roxy might not have survived the ordeal, nor the months of sickness and depression as her body ached for the alcohol she had grown so accustomed to.

Another second passed before Rose laughed and the tense cloud that had filled the room dissipated.

“See how well you do without me, you'd go crazy from lack of communication within a day.”

“I can talk to Dave,” Roxy pointed out. “He communicates enough for five.”

“Are we shit-talking Dave? Because I think I'm honor-bound as his boyfriend to stop that but I also feel the overwhelming urge to join,” came a coarse voice from the entrance. A short man, expression perpetually gloomy underneath a mess of curly hair, stood with crossed arms.

“Heya, Kar! We aren't shit-talking, I just stated a fact,” Roxy said.

“Dave is indeed quite the chatterbox,” Rose said.

Karkat Vantas rolled his eyes. “I am well fucking aware. Dirk's worse, but at least he shuts up when he gets introspective. Usually.” As he spoke, Karkat browsed the short shelves, skimming titles and occasionally picking up a book. Rose watched him carefully, but not as carefully as she would watch others. Karkat cared about books almost as much as Rose did. He held them almost reverently, placing each one he picked up exactly where he got it.

“Speakin' of Dave, he's a drummer now huh?”

“Judging by his fucking _practice sessions_ at home, he's either that or training himself to mimic a stampede of brahmin.” Disdain dripped from his words, but the affection was blatantly obvious underneath it.

Roxy laughed and Rose did her best to hide a snort, shaking her head. Roxy took a seat on one of the rickety wooden chairs and propped her feet on the counter. Karkat left with a book (after Rose all but contractually bound him with a blood oath to promise its safe return) and the library remained quiet for several hours. Rose was never particularly busy, but the town needed the library. Roxy helped out where she could, but mostly stayed out of Rose's way for efficiency’s sake. Rose was an expert and Roxy was more prone to nosily watching what everyone was checking out anyway.

Once the sky began taking on an orange tint, Roxy bid Rose goodbye. She made her way through the marketplace as it wound down, people began taking their things and heading home. The heat outside was more oppressive than it was inside, and she felt preemptively tired by her trek to the old pre-war shack where her mark was roaming.

_Hopefully._ If the feral had moved, she would need to track it down, a tedious process which could take precious hours.

Roxy picked up her pace. She took the long way around town always, avoiding the bar where she had spent many of her younger years and thousands of caps, and the decision to avoid that shorter path home was making her strangely nervous. She was filled with the urge to get this hit over with as soon as possible.

She half-jogged home, opening her door and scooping her bag up off the floor in one motion. She locked up behind her, quickly consulted her compass and map, and headed on her way.

 

The given location was hidden between several rocky outcroppings, ragged trees with sparse leaves surrounding a run-down cabin. By the time she got there, night had fallen completely and the world around her was quiet. As Roxy climbed for a better vantage point, something gave her pause.

She could see lights on in the windows. There was no movement but there was clearly someone living in there.

Roxy laid on her stomach at the highest point she could reach, her sniper rifle by her side. She studied the front of the tiny house from a distance. It was pretty well-maintained for an assumed abandoned and feral-filled place. The door was shut, windows boarded where there was no glass, and the inexplicable light shone between the wood and underneath the door.

With a frown, Roxy realized the mysterious brother may have attempted to play her for a fool. She had no idea what to do next. Leaving the target with no word seemed dangerous- without knowing exactly what the person who had wanted his sister dead looked like nor where he lived, Roxy had no way to stop him from just hiring another gun- one who wouldn't question those who paid them.

But Roxy wasn't sure how to approach a person, as their would-have-been assassin. She sighed and crawled backwards, grabbing her gun and bag as she stood and began the climb down.

It was better to get everything out in the open, for the sister's safety at least.

Or perhaps get some information on her brother so she wouldn't _need_ to get somewhere safe. With each minute that passed, Roxy felt more resentment towards the mysterious brother. Who has their own sibling murdered under false pretenses? She wasn't fond of being lied to, especially when a life was on the line.

Roxy was nearly fuming as she approached the house, but she took a calming breath as she stepped up to the cabin. She straightened her back and pounded on the thick wooden door.

Inside, something shuffled. A minute passed without another sound and Roxy knocked again.

“Hey! I'm here to warn you, whoever-the-heck you are!” she called.

“Warn me?” came the startled reply. The voice was high and had the strangest accent Roxy had ever heard.

“Yeah, Uh... A guy who calls himself your brother hired me? And I'm kinda like an assassin so... That's fucked up,” Roxy laughed nervously.

There was silence on the other side of the door.

“I'm not gonna kill you though! He said you were a feral ghoul and that's clearly a lie. I just kinda thought, maybe you could tell me what his deal is and maybe I could beat some sense into him or somethin'.”

“Oh dear, no!” A pause. “I mean, perhaps...”

“Look, honestly, I'd do it for free. I don't usually go mano-a-mano but he seems like a lying douche and maybe getting the shit punched out of him will teach him a lesson.”

“He's far too hard headed to learn anything, believe me,” said the sister.

“Fair enough but I still wanna punch him in the dick.”

The sister laughed, a high and musical sound that made Roxy want to laugh as well.

“Uh, maybe step out here or let me in so we can talk about this? Because like, shouting at a door while outside at night seems dangerous to me?”

“I don't think that's a good idea.”

Roxy hit herself on the forehead with the palm of her hand. “Right, shit. I just told you I was sent to kill you, of course you don't trust me. My bad, we can keep doin' this. Or if like, you wanna be in a more public place, we can meet up in my town, its a few miles-”

“No no no,” the sister interrupted. “There's several reasons why I can't do that.”

Roxy debated. “Wellllll, if you're worried about your brother getting you, I could walk you there? It ain't too far a walk.”

“You don't understand, I can't leave here. You're very sweet for wanting to help but I'd much rather stay put.”

Roxy blinked in disbelief. “But your brother knows where you are, and he sent me to kill you. There's nothin' stopping him from sending others.”

“I...” She trailed off. Roxy could nearly hear the gears turning in her head.

“You don't have a lotta reasons to trust me but I also don't want to see anyone getting killed for no reason, y'know? Enough people die already, don't wanna add more innocents to that number.”

“I understand.” Roxy heard a sigh, a few footsteps backwards. “Give me a few minutes please. And... please don't be surprised by me, okay?”

“Uh... okay? I won't,” Roxy said, confused. She stepped to the side, dropping her bag and sitting on it, back against the log siding of the cabin. Things shuffled inside, furniture moved. A few minutes later, the lights were gone. Without them, the only illumination was the faraway stars and the sliver of moon that cast bluish shadows around Roxy. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the door next to her opened with a click. She stood and picked up her bag, putting it on and turning to peer into the darkened house.

Very green eyes peered back, the darkness around her too absolute to make out any more details aside from her vague form. She was short and angular as far as Roxy could tell. She held herself shyly, her shoulders hunched and head down.

“I think we should head out pretty quickly, like before it gets too light,” Roxy said as she stood still.

“Right,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Just... try not to be scared.”

She stepped out into the moonlight and Roxy suppressed her shocked expression.

While obviously not feral, she was clearly a ghoul. Her skin, much of it showing thanks to the fact that she was bald, was pitted and had a sickly tint to it. Her eyes were the most vivid shade of green, surrounded by gray where the whites should have been. She wore a dark green and oft-repaired pre-war suit with long sleeves and baggy pants, rolled up over sensible white shoes. A frown tugged at her thin lips as she took in Roxy's reaction.

Roxy, swallowing her surprise, smiled.

“Got everything?” she asked.

“Y-yes,” the sister said, closing the door behind her. Roxy watched her lock up, her surprise now faded and replaced with curiosity.

“I'm Roxy, by the way,” Roxy said as the pair began walking, the faint moonlight guiding their way around large rocks and fallen trees.

“Call me Callie. It's a pleasure to meet you, even under such upsetting circumstances,” she said. Her voice was softer now that she wasn't shouting through a door, her accent giving her words a pleasant tilt.

“Callie is such a pretty name,” Roxy noted.

“Oh! I'm flattered you think so,” she said with a self-conscious laugh. “For one whose job is rather... _grim,_ you seem perfectly sweet!”

Roxy shrugged. “I don't do it outta love for what I do, I do it for caps. I'm a great shot, might as well use that to my advantage. It keeps me fed at least.”

Callie nodded slowly with a thoughtful expression. “I understand, I think.”

Roxy was relieved that Callie thought she was still nice despite her profession. She wasn't quite sure why. Even given her appearance, something shone through and made her glow, something that she wanted approval from. She couldn't figure out why.

“So uh,” Roxy started after a few minutes of walking while lost in her own thoughts, “Your brother...”

Callie flinched. “He's terrible,” she said vehemently, her fists clenching. “Absolutely despicable!”

“You don't hafta convince me, I believe it,” Roxy said.

“You don't understand... I ran away from him. I've been under his control for... for longer than I can bear to recall. I know first-hand how cruel he can be, sending you to kill me doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. I'm sure he would have reviled in telling you that I was no more feral then he is,” she said. Once she had started, the words spilled out in an anxious babble she seemed powerless to stop.

“He is needlessly cruel, and I know he's wanted me dead for ages. Me leaving was the final unforgivable offense but he didn't want to do the deed of killing me himself. May was well involve as many people as possible, plenty of people to throw blame at then!”

Roxy could feel her heart breaking as Callie's voice wavered. No tears fell, but she gasped pitifully. She couldn't help herself, she pulled Callie to her chest and rubbed her back. That stopped her sobs nearly instantaneously, her shoulders stiff for a moment in surprise before she relaxed.

“Thank you, Roxy... I'm sorry, I've just been quite stressed recently, and I've had nobody to tell about how terrible Caliborn is,” she said.

“Caliborn?”

“My brother, that's his name.”

Roxy raised an eyebrow. “That's a weird-ass name, not gonna lie. Fitting for a jerk like him I guess.”

“I have to agree.” Callie gave Roxy a quick squeeze before stepping back, her shoulders squared and eyes determined. “But perhaps you really can do something to stop him,” she said.

Roxy nodded. “I'd be glad to stop your shitstain brother. But we gotta get back to town to plan shit first.”

Callie grinned and nodded and the two picked up the pace.

 

It wasn't quite dawn yet when Roxy and Callie made it back to Can Town. They hurried through and made it back to Roxy's house before anyone was awake to see them. Callie studied each home they passed with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. She kept close to Roxy's back as if afraid the doors would swing open at once and everyone would swarm her.

She didn't relax until Roxy's door was closed.

“Take a seat,” Roxy offered, a bit self-consciously. “Nothin's gonna bite except maybe the cat, but she's outside most'a the time anyways.”

Callie looked around Roxy's little one-room home. Suddenly Roxy was hyper-aware of everything out of place, her unmade bed and the clothes unfolded in an old dresser. Dirty rags littered one corner by the end of her bed where she usually sat to clean her gun, a stack of cans sat on her counter top that she had meant to sell for scrap metal. It was a disaster.

But Callie didn't seem to mind the mess, taking it all in. She sat primly in Roxy's dining chair, folding her arms on the table and studying the view out the window with a troubled expression.

“Y'know everyone in town's pretty open-minded right? Pretty sure everyone's seen a few ghouls in their lives, no need to be afraid,” Roxy said softly.

Callie grimaced. “I'm sure they're all perfectly lovely people. I would just rather not be seen. Not solely because I'm a ghoul, though that is a factor. Maybe after Caliborn...”

“Is shot?” Roxy finished the sentence. Callie's eyes went wide.

“There must be another way to get him to stop and leave me alone for good. I hate him, but killing him... I don't know if that should be an option.”

“Right, of course. I'll help you in other ways if you need me to,” Roxy said.

“I may need all the help I can get,” Callie sighed. “I'm unsure of how to convince him to leave me alone, admittedly.”

Roxy thought to herself as she unpacked her backpack, putting food back in her cabinet.

“Well, we could just _talk_ to Caliborn. Not sure what we could say to him exactly... maybe, if you're okay with it, I could ask a friend or two.”

Calliope frowned at her hands, eyebrows furrowed. “I suppose. They won't...?” She gestured at herself without making eye contact.

“They won't judge you. Trust me, I know we just met and all but you're great and I'm sure they'll think so too!”

“I am far from great,” Callie said, just quiet enough for Roxy to nearly miss it.

Roxy took the seat across from her and narrowed her eyes. “You're totally great and super sweet, hush.”

Callie looked down, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips. “You hush, I'm sure you're just as kind to every ghoul you talk to,” she said.

“Not every ghoul is as adorable as you,” Roxy said with a quirk of her eyebrow.

“Now you're being deliberately flirtatious!” Callie laughed, surprised.

Roxy smiled and shrugged. Callie's laugh was musical and Roxy was thrilled she managed to get one out of her.

A minute later she stood up again and rubbed her face. “Alright so here's the thing, I'm super tired, I'm used to pulling long nights but not like this so I gotta crash. Wanna stay here, or go to my sister's library in town?”

“A library?” Calliope asked excitedly. “I'd love to! Can we get there before too many people are up?”

“Yeah, no worries. It doesn't open to the public until an hour or so after dawn but my sister's wife is an early bird, likes to have everything set up as soon as possible. If we hurry we'll get there pretty soon after she does.”

Callie stood, bouncing a bit. “Yes, I'd like to go if it isn't too much of an imposition!”

“I'm sure Rose and Kanaya won't mind, they're sweethearts. Let's head out.”

 

“And here I assumed it was merely Rose who was fond of taking in strays,” Kanaya said with a wry smile, sitting across from Callie and Roxy in the little library. “I'm beginning to get the feeling it's a Lalonde family trait.”

“Cats and ghouls aren't the same thing, love,” Rose said from across the room. She had greeted Callie and Roxy but quickly returned to her work, making sure the book in front of her was returned to perfect condition. Not even the admission that Callie had been Roxy's target not a few hours earlier had budged her.

“She ain't exactly a stray,” Roxy pointed out. “More like a runaway.”

“Of course,” Kanaya said with a nod. “I can understand why.”

“I was thinkin' maybe Jane could talk to Callie's brother,” Roxy said. “She's a sweetie, and smart as hell too. Maybe she can talk him into being less of a dick, or at least get him to lay off.”

“Would talking to Caliborn be safe at all?” Kanaya asked. “I mean, Callie isn't where her brother expects her to be, correct? If you collect your payment for the kill and she hides away for a while, he could go on with his life thinking Callie is truly dead.”

Roxy pouted. “Dammit Kanaya, always makin' sense. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, maybe kick him around.”

“It _would_ be safer,” Callie conceded. “There is the chance he could find me by accident though. We didn't live very far from here, maybe a half a day away.”

Kanaya sighed. “That is an issue.”

“I could scare him off, threaten to pop the ugly head off his shoulders if he turns up anywhere nearby,” Roxy offered. She turned to Callie with wide and excited eyes. “You could stay in town, I know people will be friendly!”

Callie wrung her hands in her lap. “I don't know...”

“You could stay at our home,” Kanaya said. “Your brother is aware of where Roxy lives, considering he's meant to drop off payment there. You would be safer further in town. You _would_ have to sleep on our couch, but that isn't as uncomfortable as you would think really.”

“What if he figures that out and shows up here? What if he hurts people while trying to get to me?” Callie asked, her voice on the verge of breaking.

“Then Kanaya will unleash the wrath of all the old Gods on his head,” Rose said casually, not looking up from her work.

“What she means is, if he were to show up and try and cause harm, he will find himself unable to do anything ever again,” Kanaya said, a fierce spark in her eyes.

“I suppose if he does attack first, that would only be fair,” Callie said. She seemed overwhelmed, worrying her lip with her teeth as she kept her head down. Roxy took her hand and squeezed it gently.

“What do you wanna do?” she asked. “We're makin' all these plans but you should get the final say in what goes down.” Callie seemed caught off-guard by the question, her electric green eyes wide as they searched Roxy's face.

“Well,” she said slowly after a minute had passed, “Most importantly, I don't want anyone to get hurt. I think I'd rather lay low but I don't want to impose on anyone. You're all wonderful but I'd rather not make myself a burden.”

“You absolutely would not be,” Kanaya said reassuringly. “And there are plenty of people here who are more than capable of protecting themselves and others, no harm will befall anyone.”

Callie nodded. “Okay, if you're certain.”

“Absolutely.”

“I'll stay here in town then!”

Roxy stood with a sigh. “Glad that's settled, now I'm gonna go home and pass the fuck out.”

Callie stood as well and gave Roxy a tight hug. “Thank you for bringing me here, Roxy.”

“No prob,” she said, ignoring the knowing look that passed between Rose and Kanaya as Roxy held Callie close. As much as she didn't want to, she let Callie go. She headed home with a final farewell and tried to ignore the incessant urge to stay with Callie for as long as possible.

 

A few hours later, Roxy was awoken by a pounding at her door. It rattled the frame of her house, sending the stack of cans clattering to the floor. She jolted awake, squinting into the afternoon sunlight that shone in from the gaps in her curtains. She stumbled out of bed, trying to make her sleeping clothes look somewhat presentable as she opened the door.

Angry red eyes met hers and she nearly slammed the door shut. The ghoul on her doorstep, larger than any ghoul she had ever seen and twice as ugly, took a step forward, forcing Roxy back into her home as he stepped inside.

“Where is she?” he bellowed, making Roxy wince.

“I just woke up, you giant dickweed, shut _up_. Whad'ya want?” she said, her heart racing. She kept her eyes half-lidded and posture slouched, but her eyes were trained on her rifle leaning against the wall behind the towering ghoul.

“Calliope! She's not dead. You! You were supposed to kill her!” he said.

“The fuck's a calliope?” Her pulse raced in her throat. She was a good fighter, she knew that, but Caliborn had several inches and two hundred pounds of muscle on her. If it came to a fistfight, Roxy's only chance would be to run.

She hoped it wouldn't come to that. Her eyes flicked to her rifle again.

He growled, eyes burning. “Do not play stupid! Even if you are stupid! Pretend you aren't. You know who I mean.”

“Oooh, you're the asshole who hired me to kill that ghoul I take it? Job's done, numbnuts. Pay up.”

Caliborn took another step forward and Roxy took one back, further from her gun. “Where's the body then?”

Roxy wracked her brain for a lie. Her mouth was dry and her mind scrambled from sleep and surprise. “Well, y'know... I buried her. Figured that's what I'd do for my sister if she died. You're fuckin' welcome. I'm not even charging extra for it.”

“Liar!” he yelled. “There wasn't a single drop of her disgusting blood in her stupid little hiding place. She's alive somewhere.”

Roxy narrowed her eyes. “I don't like bein' insulted in my own home, 'specially by such an ugly asshole. Pay up and get the fuck out.”

Caliborn bared his teeth and swung for Roxy's head with a massive fist. She ducked, slamming her knee into the hard wooden floor and rolling away. A well-timed kick caught Roxy in the side before she could stand and grab the rifle. She found herself breathless, sprawled out on the ground while she tried in vain to draw in a breath and stand. Caliborn looked down at her in disgust.

“Pathetic. I shouldn't have picked such a weak girl to do the job,” he spat. Roxy glared with as much venom as she could muster.

“'Least a girl can play fair,” she wheezed, getting up as quickly as she could and lunging past Caliborn. Her hand wrapped around her rifle before he could stop her and she turned, using all her might to bash the side of the gun into his bald head. He fell to the ground with a thud, stunned and bleeding.

“Sometimes, anyway,” she said to herself, pulling in deep breaths as she watched Caliborn's prone form for any sign of movement. She hoped he would be out for a while, but wasn't willing to waste any time.

 

Roxy showed up breathless to the library, her rifle still in hand. Kanaya's eyes went wide and she dropped the books she was holding on the floor, all but carrying Roxy to a chair.

“What happened to you?” she asked. Roxy waved her away.

“I'm fine, stop fussin'. I just shouldn't'a run so soon after gettin' my ribcage man-handled by a big-ass ghoul.”

There was a squeak from the back room and Callie poked her head out with a horrified expression.

“He- Caliborn showed up?” she asked.

“Is he an ugly motherfucker? Like six feet tall and gotta voice like a yao guai on steroids?”

“Oh nooo,” Callie moaned, putting her hands to her face. “I'm so sorry I- How? How could he have found me?”

“He didn't find _you,_ he found me. Though I guess he knows you're still ali- OH FUCK, he's still back at my place. I think? I knocked him out and he went down like a sack of tatos. What do we do?”

“Frighten him away perhaps?” Kanaya said.

“I've had like one conversation with the guy,” Roxy said. “He's scary as hell and he knows it, he ain't givin' up, I can tell.”

It was quiet for a moment. The seconds passed painfully. Callie seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown and it took Roxy every ounce of self control not to grab her and run far away, protect her with every shred of energy she had.

It occurred to her she might have a crush on the sweet ghoul with a price on her head.

“Kill him, obviously,” Rose said. She had been quiet up to that point, surprised by the sudden appearance of the very beaten-looking Roxy and her bombshell of an announcement.

“If he's as relentless as you say, and as Callie has said, then there may be no other choice.”

“You've never gone for the murder-route before,” Roxy pointed out in shock.

Rose shrugged with a frown. “I'm not saying it's right in any capacity but we're short on time and options.”

Callie looked almost sick. “I think she's right.”

Silence weighed heavily on the room. Roxy stood and took a deep breath. “I guess I'll do it.” She paused. “I'll try not to draw things out, as much as my aching ribs want me to.”

Callie came forward and grabbed Roxy's hand. “I'm so sorry for making you do this,” she said. “I know it's an unpleasant task.”

“To be fair he hired me to kill you first. You're repayin' the favor.”

Callie tilted her head. “I don't have any way to pay you.”

Roxy leaned over and pressed her lips to Callie's cheek. “Just keep bein' sweet, okay?” she said. Callie nodded, blinking rapidly. She was clearly flustered and Roxy couldn't suppress her grin despite the circumstances.

“You may want to hurry,” Rose urged. She was clearly amused by whatever was happening between Callie and Roxy but did her best to hide it.

“Yeah true,” Roxy said. She squared her shoulders and headed back towards home.

 

The hit was simple. An asshole ghoul tried to have his sister killed under false pretenses. He had no control over her and thus no use for her. But unluckily for him, his sister was kind and sweet and had quickly enamored her would-be killer.

Roxy realized there may be complications when she returned home to find her front door ripped off its hinges. Caliborn was nowhere to be found. She looked around urgently, trying to find any hint of which way he might have gone. Hopefully he was too injured to get anywhere quickly.

Her heart sank when she noticed a fencepost that hadn't been broken before laying on the worn dirt path.

Caliborn was heading towards town.

Roxy began running, her rifle banging into her back with every step. He would clearly take the shorter and more obvious rout to town, the path Roxy avoided. She made an exception when she noted a freshly broken tree limb. He was closer than Roxy had hoped.

A shuffle in a cluster of shrubs made her stop. She grabbed her rifle just as Caliborn attacked with a roar.

Whatever sentience he had before was gone, his red eyes dull and face slack as he clumsily threw a punch at Roxy. He had gone completely feral, driven off the edge by his rage.

He launched himself bodily at Roxy before she could recover from her shock. She managed to avoid the bulk of him but still got an arm to the chest, knocking her back and nearly sending her sprawling. Caliborn turned with a snarl, scrambling to his feet and going in for another attack.

Roxy stepped backwards, pulling her rifle from her back and taking aim.

Everything seemed to slow down around her. She thought of Callie, abused for years at the hands of the beast in front of her. Callie, who worried about others safety before her own, even if they were complete strangers. Who was kinder than anyone she had met in the wasteland she lived in. Who saw herself as a monster but was more human than anyone she knew.

The shot rang out, her aim as impeccable as always.

Caliborn was still, blood pooling around his head over the dirt. Roxy took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Her heart pounded in her ears, her hands beginning to shake as the stress of the past day caught up with her.

“I really need a new job.”

 

Despite the hell her brother had put her through in her unnaturally long life, Calliope couldn't help but feel saddened by his death. Knowing he had gone feral scared her. It felt like such an inevitability, and yet...

Roxy held her hand, expression soft. Calliope managed a smile.

Though Roxy was nearly a perfect stranger to her, Calliope felt safer than she ever had.

A hand fell softly on her shoulder and she looked up to see Kanaya, understanding evident in her eyes. Rose even offered her silent condolences with a nod.

“Are you okay?” Roxy asked.

Calliope thought for a moment, studying Roxy's face. Roxy's hands were steady and warm around her own and Calliope let her fingers tighten. Pink eyes bored into green, concern and exhaustion and something else mingling there. Something Callie hoped she wasn't imagining, something she had only read about.

She couldn't be sure, but it seemed like something akin to love.

“Yes, I think I am.”

 


End file.
